Muddling through with money and morals
The certainties of the two sides in the debate on morality and free markets are misplaced, writes Michael Skapinker. Regulation provides the middle way
Money and morals
Resources
Leading figures debate the place of morals in the financial markets more than a year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers
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Comment and analysis
Ethics alone will not prevent financial crises
A call for more ethics is all well and good but its effect will be limited unless self-interest in financial markets runs with the grain of the interests of society as a whole. A free market generally ensures that, writes Philip Booth
We're better off basing business on morals and rules
Morality: suddenly, there seems to be a lot of it about. Bishops are talking about it - Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, recently discussed ethics privately with senior business figures
Tame the markets to make capitalism ethical
Markets have become detached from our moral and spiritual values, as we have been blinded by the short-term gains from globalisation, writes Ken Costa
Recruits must be reminded of the City’s reputation
From Sir John Craven and others. Sir, The undersigned, among many others, were deeply involved in the creation of what is today the world’s largest capital market: the Euromarket
Lombard: Ruskin offers a moral code on just rewards
The debate about bonuses and excessive pay is generating plenty of ideas, but there’s something – or rather someone – missing: John Ruskin
Mixing morals and money
The Pope’s thoughts on justice and globalisation intrigue Christopher Caldwell
Related content and features
Video
Equities and the Church of England
James Bevan, chief investment officer of CCLA, hotly defends the Church’s exemplary record against what he sees as unfair criticism
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Not fair to blame the bankers
Eamonn Butler, director of the Adam Smith Institute, defends bankers against accusations of greed and focuses instead on ‘immoral politicians’
A call for humility in the City
Giles Fraser, canon chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, takes issue with what he sees as the excessive risk-taking and overconfidence of the City, and calls for greater humility when it comes to predicting the future
A moral code for bankers?
Andrew Hill, FT city editor, sees great relevance in Ruskin’s polemical book ‘Unto this Last’ to today’s debate on bonuses and the worth of the City
Capitalism versus open society
George Soros explores the conflict between market and social values, focusing on the principal-agent problem
Transcript: Capitalism versus Open Society
Read the full transcript of the Soros lecture
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